In this episode, our host Joshua Coe speaks with journalist Isabelle de Pommereau about her story “Humanitarian Warriors” written for Transitions magazine. In Kosovo, De Pommereau met Ukrainian women learning to clear the mines and unexploded ordnance littered across their country amid its ongoing war with Russia.
More recently, De Pommereau was in Ukraine for the week of Donald Trump’s inauguration as president of the United States. While the newly sworn in president promised a swift end to Russia’s war with Ukraine, the fighting has only intensified in recent weeks. Whether or not the end of the conflict is in sight, the task of cleaning up the remnants of war is ongoing. The removal of unexploded ordnance is one such effort. Across Ukraine, the removal of unexploded shells, missiles and mines is underway and expected to take years.
Read “Humanitarian Warriors” by Isabelle de Pommereau on Transitions.
In this podcast series, we look at the region from different angles and perspectives, attempting to capture its diversity and understand emerging trends. Above all, we want to give a voice to a region that is often talked to rather than listened to.
The VoiCEE is brought to you by a network of independent English-language media in Central and Eastern Europe: Reporting Democracy, VSquare, New Eastern Europe, Notes from Poland, Kafkadesk, Insight Hungary, Internews Ukraine, Transitions, Ukraine World.
To not miss any news and insight from our network, sign up for our newsletter here and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Main image credit: Isabelle de Pommereau
